Innsbruck

November 1 (All Saints Day / Alle Heiligen) and November 2 (All Souls Day / Alle Seelen) were university holidays in Austria, so my mom and I took a short trip to Innsbruck, the capital city of the province of Tirol.

 After the five hour train ride on Monday, we were eager to stretch our legs a bit, and Innsbruck's compact old city was eager to oblige us with enough nooks, crannies, alleys, and even castles to explore for a few hours before dinner. Even better was the fact that there were almost no clouds, offering stunning views of the Alps that surround the city around nearly every corner.

Church in the old city with the mountains in the background

Near the river Inn, from which Innsbruck draws its name

The next morning, we decided to take the Nordkettenbahn, a combination railway and cable car system that transports skiiers, hikers, and tourists up one of the mountains that surround the city, to its zenith.

The Nordkettenbahn travels to the top of this mountain

We had originally planned to do some alpine hiking on the mountain as well, but even though it was still warm in Innsbruck, the mountains themselves were already covered in snow. We instead contented ourselves with enjoying the stunning vistas that come with being above the cloud line, and hiked partway down the mountain instead, where we could enjoy nature without the danger of slipping on ice and falling thousands of feet to our doom.

Innsbruck as seen from the top of the mountain

Above the clouds